Clients are waiting for one level of care when they could join existing treatment groups at any level.
Blend other levels of care with outpatient treatment so that clients can develop therapeutic relationships and familiarity with outpatient clients, therapists, and locations before moving to outpatient care.
STEPS at Liberty Center, in Wooster, Ohio attained 100 percent continuation rates from residential to outpatient treatment by making transitions seamless, blending outpatient, intensive outpatient, residential, and even pre-release jail clients, in various specialized therapy groups. This also eliminated unnecessary repetition of material. They individualized treatment for clients by having counselors ask clients which area they wanted to address first so that clients could choose and attend groups based on topics of interest, rather than level of care. When clients moved to another level of care they already had therapeutic relationships and familiarity with other clients, therapists, and the location. This change also reduced no-show rates 29 percent, expanded capacity significantly without increasing staff—and the staff loved the changes.
Prairie Ridge Addiction Treatment Services in Mason City, Iowa increased attendance in the outpatient program by 13 percent by having clients continue with the same counselor and the same peer group instead of just overlapping care with the outpatient counselor prior to leaving residential treatment. They offered residential clients a “menu” of groups that were facilitated by outpatient counselors and included outpatient clients at the outset of treatment. For groups offered across levels of care, see the Prairie Ridge Catalog of Groups. For more information, seethe Prairie Ridge transitions case study.
Preferred Family Healthcare in Jefferson City, Missouri assigned clients to the same counselor as they moved through all levels of care, including detox, residential treatment, and outpatient care.
Cycle Measure
Percentage of referred clients who were admitted
Data Collection Form
Referred Clients Admitted Tracking Form (Transition Clients)
Plan
Do
Study
Act
If this change was not an improvement and you cannot make it work, abandon this practice and test other promising practices that might be more successful in your setting.